University of Tokyo will conduct an experiment called “Solar Sharing” on Sado Island, Niigata Prefecture, Japan to determine whether farms and solar power can share the same land in regions with lower levels of sunlight. Solar Frontier, the world’s leading CIS module manufacturer, supplied CIS solar panels for supporting the test.

“Solar sharing” in Japan refers to the practice of using the same plot of land to simultaneously grow crops and generate solar power. University of Tokyo’s Integrated Research System for Sustainability Science (IR3S) advances a new experiment on Sado Island to evaluate the potential economic impact of solar sharing. The experiment is included in a broader project that tries to using renewable energy and maximizing natural resources to achieve a low-carbon society and help revitalize communities.

Solar Frontier has provided 10kW of lightweight Solacis neo CIS solar panels for the experiment. These CIS panels have been installed facing south at a low inclination angle of 13.5 degrees, and are expected to generate approximately 11,000kWh per year. The solar panels have also been installed 2 meters high, enabling the farmer to tend to his crop. In this particular case, it has started with a round of broccoli which will be followed by a range of seasonal vegetables as the year progresses. As a result, the test will provide data on light-shielding rates and crop yield for the Washizaki district, an area with relatively difficult farming conditions.